The Rhine Gorge

One of my favorite days on the Rhine was going through the Rhine Gorge, which is known for all of its castles and steep vineyards. We saw so many castles that some of the Aussies were just calling out "ABC" each time another one came into view. "ABC" was code for "another bloody castle!" But honestly, they were beautiful, and everyone was snapping photos of the fairytale castles with their turrets and spires. Some of them were ruins; some had been restored and were being used for one purpose or another.  Most of them were constructed between the 12th and 14th centuries. They were, of course, built by princes to protect their land, but later they became the "toll booths" of the Rhine. Chains were strung across the river to keep ships from passing until they paid a toll.

I didn't count, but I've read that there are between 30 and 40 castles to be seen on this fairly short stretch of the Rhine. Most of them perch on a hill or a cliff, above charming, picturesque German villages.

Lovely as the castles were, equally amazing were the vineyards lining the steep hillsides on both sides of the Rhine. We were told that in the Roman days, the hillsides were terraced, but now the vines are planted in vertical rows, straight down the hill, with no terracing. Although machines are used at the end of the season, for cutting back the vines, the grapes are always picked by hand.

One more attraction along the Rhine Gorge is the statue of Lorelei - a woman of legend, so beautiful that sailors, often unable to take their eyes off of her, would wreck their boats at this narrow, deep stretch of the Rhine. The statue sits on a little finger of land, jutting into the river. 

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